Electrical clutch or the like.



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

l No. 898,888.

` A. RSTECKEL. ELECTRICAL CLUTCH OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 7, 1907. v

l lABRAM P. STECKEL, OF`BUFFALQ, NEW'YORK.

ELECTRIAL CLUTCH OR THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. l

Patented Aug. 25, reos.

Application filed December 7, 1907. Serial No. 405,513.

f To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ABR/AMT. STECKEL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Buffalo, in the coun-ty of Erie and State of New 5 York, have/'invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Clutches or the Like, vof Which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to electrical induction-clutches of the type disclosed in U. S. 'PatentNo 744,423, granted to me Novemlber 17, 1903. These clutches, which are espeeially applicable to power transmission mechanisms in which the driven part is frelquently started and stopped or reversed, comprise essentially two members, one having oppositely disposed magnet poles, and the other an' annular late or ring of conducting material arranged) in va plane perpendicular to the axis of the clutch between said poles and in the magnetic field established thereby,

insuch manner that the electrical currents induced in said ring by the relative rotation of said clutch members tend to cause said members to rotate together,v or, when the device is used as a brake, and one member is fixed, to o pose the rotationv of the other member. t is essential to the efficient operation of such clutches that the conducting body be of annular or ringform so that the density of current and'consequent heating and expansion of the same will be a proximately uniform throughout the ring, t ereby avoiding the warping thereof. The eilciency of the clutch can be still further increased by making the conducting ring of such shape 1n cross section that it will afford a path of the least resistance for the inducedcurrents and have the maximum mechanical strength without increasing the air gap between the 40 nagnet poles, so as to weaken the magnetic eld.

The primary object of the invention is therefore to make the conducting ring of a novel shape in cross-'section to produce these results,` and also to connect the conductingringto the clutch member carrying it in a novel manner, which will allow the independent expansion of the ring in a plane perpendicular to its axis to further minimize the warping of the ring.

ln the'accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a clutch embodying the-invention. Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation thereof, partly in section. FigjB is a sectional elevation, on a reduced scale, of a modified construction. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of an other modification. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional elevation indicating the aths of the currents in the conducting ring.- Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, A 'represents the fast or driving member, and B-the c5 loose or driven member of the clutch. The former is `keyed or otherwise secured to a drive shaft or other drive element C, and the' latter is loose or free to turn on or relative to said shaft and is'provided with a gear wheel 70 D or other means for transmitting motion to the part to be driven thereby. The manner-` of 'mounting and connecting Vthe driving and driven members to the driving and driven elements, however, forms no partv of this'in- 75 vention and this may be accomplished in any suitable Way. Oneclutch member, preferably the driving vmember A, consists of a magnet body or core surrounded by an electrical winding@ for energizing it, and having oppositely facing poles a a2 located outwardly beyond or surrounding the winding and connected to the opposite ends of the core or body. The other clutch member consists of a supporting wheel or body, and a S5 ring or annular plate E of copper, or .other material which is a goed electrical conductor, secured thereto and arranged in a plane -perpendicular to the airis of the clutch between the opposite magnetpoles. This conducting ring is of substantially I-shape in cross-section, that is, it has a relatively thin intermediate portion located between the faces of the opposite poles and iangcd or thickened inner and outer rim portions which are disposed respectively'within and without the poles. By thus forming the ring it can operate in an air gap only Wide enough for its thinnest ortion, which insures a strong magnetic iield,but the ring is proportionately 100 stronger and has greater conducting area than if it were made of the same thickness throughout its width as its thin .interinodiate portion. The conducting ring is provided at its'outer periphery with a securing 105 rib or {iange e, which is notched at e', see Fig-.

,3, and is embraced on opposite confini d between the circula;- supporting Wheel B and a t: which is secured to the Wheel h ing through spacing blocks le' edge of the "ernng ring il tween the Wheel B and the securing ring l in ular to its axis on the supporting Wheel, it

cannot turn on the Wheel but rotates with the Wheel as a rigid part thereof. h 7i, represent collector rings of ordinary construction V for leading` the electrical current to the magnet Winding from the supply circuit. As this invention relates orly to the construction of the conducting ring lil and the means for securing it to the clutch member or Wheel carrying it, the other features of the clutch are not described in det-ail.

1n the construction above described the magnet poles are all energized by the single wimling n.. and the conducting ring is connected te the clutch i'nember or wheel B outwardly beyond the magnet poles. The in.- vention is not, however, restricted to this form, as the clutch could be of other constructions of which examples are shown in l? 3-5 of the d rawings,

Figs. 3 and 4; illustrate a construction better suited for more powerful clutches, ranging, for example, from one hundred horsepower upward. in 'this construction each pole ux" is energized by a separate surroum ing electrical Winding (L4. ln other Words, separate magnets are employed for the several poli-s at cach side of the conductingI ringl E', and. these magnets are connected by radial arms to the continuous circular rim of the clutch member A. The electrical cnrrent is led to the several magnets by conductors from suitable collector rings 7L 72'l on the hub of the clutch member A. The conducting ring` E of similar shape in crosssection to the ring E beforel described. lt could be secured in the manner described, to the clutch member B carrying it, to permit the expansion of the conducting ring, but the ring E isshown as rigidlybolted to lateral extensions .of the arms of the member B', which extensions can' yield radially to permit the expansion of the ring but are sufficiently rigid crosswise thereof, or in the direction of the plane of rdtation of the ring, to cause the ring to turn with theolutch member B as a rigid part thereof.

Figfi illustrates another construction 1n which the conducting ring E2 'is of the char- ;iiles by or is aeter or shape described.' The. ring in this instance, hmvever, is carried by a clutch member B which is arranged concentrieally within instead of surrounding the ring, and the other clutch member A2 is provided with rzagnet poles a? a" between which the ring is located and one set of which extend outwardly beyond said rin g for connection to the supporting Wheel or body. The magnet vpoles in this instance are all energized by a single circumferential winding a', but manifestly separately energized magnets or poles could be employed if desired. The conducting ring is attached to the clutch member B2 carrying it in the same marmer as the clutch ring E in the iirst construction described, whereby the ring is caused to turn with the member supporting it as a rigid part thereof but is adapted to expand in the plane of the ring.

`he action of the conducting ring is similar in the several constructionsdescribed. in the use of the clutch the induced currents flow through the thick inner and outer portions of thering, as indicated bythe arrow lines in Fig. 6, and lhave a path of less resistance than. they would have were the ring made of the same thickness throughout its Width as the thickness best suited to be used in the air gap between the magnet poles.

I claim as my invention:

1.Y An electrical clutch or the like comprising a member4 having oppositely disposed magnetized poles separated by an air gap, a second clutch member, and a conducting rin supported thereby in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the clutch and having a thin portion located between said opposite poles, and thicker portions located inwardly and outwardly bcyoild said poles with respect to the axis of the clutch, substantially as set forth.

' 2. An electrical clutch or the like comprising a member having oppositcly disposed magnetizcd poles separated by an air gap, a second clutch member, and a conducting ring supported thereby in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the clutch and having a thin portion located between said opposite poles, and thicker' portions located inwardly and outwardly beyond said poles with respect to the axis of the clutch, said conducting ring being connected to the supporting clutch member by means which allow said ring to expand in the plane thereof independently of the supporting clutch member, substantially as set forth.

3. An electrical clutch or the like comprisinga member having opoositely disposed magnetized poles separate by an air gap, a second clutch member, and a conducting ring supported thereby betffveen saidopposite poles in a plane perpendicularto the axis 15's lacng. blooksi' and, rfi'gidk securing the` WWtnesses: v

l A b oaks to' -sa'd supporting clutch member, j 4 (1B. HRNBECK,

' substantially as` set forth. fC. W; PARKER. 

